


in the shadow of your heart

by girlsonthetv



Category: Fire Emblem Echoes: Mou Hitori no Eiyuu Ou | Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Genre: Blatant Utena References, Canon Divergence, F/F, Possessed Celica, Taking Inconsequential Cutscene Details And Running With Them, self-indulgence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-22
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2019-03-22 16:51:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13768401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/girlsonthetv/pseuds/girlsonthetv
Summary: They arrived just a minute too late. Or, depending on your viewpoint, just in time.





	in the shadow of your heart

**Author's Note:**

> i have no explanation for this. im gay for possessed celica in heroes and this was 99% driven by that
> 
> as far as inconsequential cutscene details: when celica had her soul eaten by duma and was a witch for like ten minutes, she was still lucid enough to tell alm to kill her, even though she should have been a zombie. also, she retains some of her memories in heroes and has emotions beyond killing for duma. so.

They arrived just a minute too late. Or, depending on your viewpoint, just in time.

Mae stumbled into the chamber, breathing heavily, the others behind her. Celica stands over Alm, her sword slick with the blood of the other child of fate, the one she used to adore. She turns to Mae, and she looks fine. Radiant, even. Her eyes are glowing.

Boey reaches for Mae’s hand. She doesn’t take it. “Celica...” Mae breathes.

Celica steps forward slowly, almost seductively. She brings the tip of her sword below Mae’s chin, tilts it up so Mae is incapable of not looking directly into her deeply unnatural eyes. “Hello, Mae.” She cooes. “Everything’s fine now. Don’t worry.”

“You killed that boy.” Mae says. Nothing feels real except for Celica’s steel gently pressing against her skin.

Celica glances back at Alm’s corpse as if she’s somehow forgotten it. “Oh. Yes, he was a bit too slow.” She chuckles. “Poor, sweet Alm. He didn’t quite understand the situation.”

“What’s the situation?” Mae asks. She almost doesn’t want to, but she needs to know.

A Seraphim spell just barely misses Celica. Celica’s new eyes fill with fury, and Mae turns to see Sonya, hand in front of her, having clearly just casted it. “Don’t touch her, demon.” Sonya says coldly. Mae sees her jaw tremble and Mae realizes that she is looking at Celica’s new form and seeing her sisters.

“Sonya...” Celica’s voice rises and breaks off in a sob. “How could you?! I thought you, of all people, would understand!”

“Understand what?” Mae asks. She should be terrified, she knows, but she can’t bring herself to be afraid of Celica. Even now.

Celica turns back to Mae and her expression softens so much Mae can almost imagine she still has her soul. When she speaks again, her voice is like smoke and honey. “Any woman who cannot become a princess must become a witch. That is the fundamental truth underlying everything in my life.”

“But Celica...you did become a princess.” Mae’s voice cracks. She wants to understand, she does, but she’s only more confused.

Celica laughs frostily. “I could never be a princess, Mae. Not as long as I love you.”

Mae’s heart stops. “I...I love you too. I always loved you, Celica.” Tears well up in her eyes as she realizes the truth of her words. She will always love Celica, then and now and forever.

“Really, Mae? That makes me so happy.” Celica lowers her sword and throws her arms around Mae. Tears stream down Mae’s face.

“See, there was one thing that idiot Jedah didn’t take into account when he gave me this gift and made me a witch.” Celica says, making sure everyone in the chamber heard her. “I am a Brand-Bearer. My soul will echo within me still, as long as my body does not die. I am cursed to follow Lord Duma’s orders, but I hear him in my head as we speak, and all he wants is to die.” Celica removes her arms from Mae and faces her, twisted jubilance on her face. “Don’t you see, Mae? All we have to do is defeat Jedah and Duma, and I will be so much more than a princess! I will be the Witch-Queen of a united Valentia, and you can be my dashing prince.” Mae would be lying if she said her heart didn’t skip a beat at that. “What say you?”

The choice was obvious, wasn’t it? Mae leans in to kiss Celica, madly and deeply the way she had ached to do for years. Celica kisses her lips vicious and sweet, then kisses the tears off her cheeks. Mae knows it isn’t the same as it would be with the old Celica, but she doesn’t really care.

She turns to the rest of their army. “You guys hear that?”


End file.
